Mattresses



J. F. 'MOXLEY Aug. 30, 1966 MATTRESSES Filed Jan. 2, 1964 INVENTOK Jo/m F MOX/G BY 72% 020m 9 ATTUIQ/VEYS.

United States Patent 3,268,922 MATTREEBSE John F. Moxley, Rte. 7, R0. Box 75, Medina, @hio Filed Jan. 2, H64, Ser. No. 335,279 6 Claims. (or. -444 This invention relates to mattresses and more particularly, to mattresses of the type which are generally rolled up when not in use. Although not limited thereto, mattresses embodying the present invention are particularly 1suitable for outdoor use, such as by campers and the ike.

To enable it to comfortably support a user thereof, a mattress not only should be of resilient, yieldable nature but also, of substantial thickness, particularly if it is likely to be placed on hard surfaces in use thereof, such as on the ground or the like in outdoor use. However, such a mattress when rolled up in periods of nonuse is quite bulky and as a result, it not only is difficult to carry, which frequently is necessary if the mattress is being used by a camper or the like but also, it requires considerable space for storage purposes.

The present invention therefore has for its primary object the provision of a mattress which is of resilient, yleldable nature and of substantial thickness and which may be readily, quickly and conveniently rolled up into quite compact form when not in use.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a mattress which includes in assembly herewith, so that it is always available, means which enables the mattress to be progressively compressed as it is rolled up, to thereby enable the diametral size of the rolled up mattress to be materially reduced.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a mattress of the aforesaid nature which is characterized by its structural simplicity, the economy of its manufacture, its strong and sturdy character, its relatively light weight, the comfortable support which it provides in use thereof, and its compact diametral size when in its rolled up condition.

Further objects of the present invention, and certain of its practical advantages, will be referred to in or will be evident from the following description of one embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an end perspective view of a mattress embodying the present invention, the mattress being in its rolled up form for storage and/or carrying purposes, with portions of two of the straps by which the mattress is maintained in its rolled up form being tied together to provide a shoulder strap for mattress carrying purposes;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of said mattress in its fiat form, with the parts thereof in the positions which they occupy when the mattress is to be rolled up;

FIG. 3 is a similar view of the mattress but with the compressing means thereof in the position which it occupies at the start of the rolling up operation;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but with one end portion of the mattress in rolled up condition; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the mattress in flat form, with its bottom surface uppermost, and showing the buckles of the straps by which the mattress can be maintained in its rolled up condition and by which it can be carried.

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Before describing the mattress here illustrated for the disclosure of one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to mattresses having the particular structural nature or the particular arrangement of parts of the one here shown, as mattresses embodying the present invention may take various other forms. It also is to be understood that the terminology and the phraseology herein used is for purposes of description and not of limitation, as the scope of the present invention is denoted by the appended claims.

As will be evident from. the accompanying drawings, the mattress here illustrated for the disclosure of one embodiment of the present invention comprises a padlike body member 11 and an enclosing cover 12 therefor. Although the mattress body member may be made of any suitable material of a resilient, yieldable nature, sponge rubber and polyurethane foam are particularly suitable. Similarly, the mattress body member may be of any suitable size, such as thirty inches by seventy-six inches for example, and with a thickness sufiiciently great to enable it to provide a comfortable support for a user of the mattress, even when the mattress is placed upon a hard surface, such as a floor, the ground or the like. As here shown, the mattress body member is one which has a thickness of approximately three inches, with the density of the sponge rubber, polyurethane foam or other material of the body member being such that a particularly comfortable support of resilient, yieldable nature is provided. As to the cover 12 for the mattress body member 11, said cover may be of any suitable material, such as a waterproof canvas, with the size of the cover preferably being such as to enable it to more or less snugly receive the mattress body member. For insertion of the mattress body member into its cover and for the removal of it therefrom when desired, the cover is provided with a suitable opening 13 which preferably and here is located at one end of the cover, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. To enable the cover opening to be normally closed, a slide fastener 14 or other suitable closure means may be and preferably is provided for such openmg.

Because of the resilient, yieldable nature of the mattress body member and its substantial thickness, the present mattress would have a considerable diametral size if it were to be rolled up in the normal or usual manner when its use is not desired. To reduce the diametral size of the present mattress when it is in its rolled up form, and thereby enable it to be more'easily and conveniently carried and/or stored, the mattress includes, in suitable assembly therewith so that it is always available for use when desired, means by which the mattress body member may be progressively compressed as the mattress is rolled up.

In the embodiment of the invention here .sholwn, said means comprises an elongated, substantially rigid slat-like member 15 which is here carried by a. suitable end extension 16 of the cover 12 for the mattress body member 11. As here shown, said extension is at that end of the cover which is provided with the opening 13 so that most of said opening is covered by the extension when the mattress is in its rolled up condition, as shown in FIG. 3. For economy of manufacture, the extension 16 may be and here is an integral part of the cover 12, although aaeaaea 3 if desired, of course, it may be separate therefrom and suitably secured thereto, as will be readily understood.

In the present embodiment of the invention and as shown in FIG. 2, the cover extension 16 projects from one end of the mattress body member 11 at the bottom thereof, the extension preferably and here being of substantially the same width as that of the mattress body member 1 1 and the cover 12 therefor. For carrying the slat-like member 15, the cover extension 16 is here provided with a suitable transversely disposed pocket of a size to more or less snugly receive said slat-like member, and tor the economical formation of said pocket, the end edge portion of the cover extension 16 may be and here is reversely folded and suitably stitched, as at 17, to provide a pocket-forming hem 18.

If desired, the slat-like member 15 may be provided upon either or both of its faces with instructional material relating to the mattress or with advertising matter or the like, and to enable said member to be readily inserted into and removed from its pocket in the cover extension hem 18, either or both ends of said pocket may be left open. If desired, however, either end or both ends of the pocket may be closed, or closable, and in the embodiment of the invention here illustrated, a closing flap 16a (see FIG. 2) is provided for said pocket at one end thereof, said pocket-closing flap being carried by and preferably being integral with the cover extension 16. As Will be readily understood, the free end portion of the pocket-closing flap 16a (a flap which may have a length of four inches for example) may be readily tucked into the pocket, over the adjacent end of the slat-like member 15, for the releasable closure of such pocket end. Preferably and as here shown, member 15 and its pocket are of substantially the same length, so that said member does not project from either end of the pocket.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the embodiment of the invention here illustrated, the slat-like member 15 for the mattress body member 11 is carried by the cover extension 16 in such spaced relationship to said mattress body member (the spacing preferably being no greater than the thickness of the mattress body member) that said slat-like member be positioned in an out-of-the-way position beneath the cover enclosed mattress body member $11 when the mattress is in use (the dotted lines position of said slat-like member in FIG. 2) or positioned upon one end of the cover enclosed mattress body member, as in FIG. 3, when the mattress is to be rolled up.

In the rolling up of the mattress, and with the rigid or substantially rigid slat-like member '15 in the position shown in FIG. 3, downward pressure is applied to said slat-like member, by hand and knee action also if desired, to compress the underlying portion of the mattress body member, with the pressure (indicated by the arrows P) preferably being applied to said slat-like member in spaced relation along the length thereof so as to more or less evenly or uniformly compress the underlying portion of the mattress body member across substantially its entire width. With continuation of such downward pressure, the mattress .is progressively rolled up about the slat-like member 15, in a manner which will be readily understood, into a quite compact roll, one which is surprisingly small diametrically when the thickness of the mattress body member and its resilient, yieldable nature are considered.

When completely rolled up into its compact form, the mattress is releasably secured in such condition by any suitable means, such as by the straps 19 which are here stitched or othenwise suitably secured to the cover 12 so that they will always be conveniently available. In the embodiment of the invention here shown, there are four such straps, in longitudinally extending, laterally spaced relationship, with the inner ends of the straps being provided with suitable buckles 20 for cooperation with the tfree end portions of the straps.

Preferably and as here shown, the straps 19 are of sufficient length to enable the mattress to be maintained in rolled-up condition eyen when one or more articles are located inside the roll, such as blankets or other articles of generally flat form and/or articles such as cameras and the like which should be rather carefully transported. As will be readily understood, the mattress not only provides quite eifective insulation for articles about which it is rolled but also, provides considerable padding and hence quite effective protection for said articles.

The added length of the straps 19 also enables two of the straps, such as the two end straps, to be tied together, as in FIG. 1, to provide a shoulder carrier 21 for the mattress in carrying it from place to place and otherwise handling it in a convenient manner. Also, if desired, the two middle straps 19 may be connected by a short strap 22, FIGS. 1 and 5, or by other equivalent means to provide a convenient handle for the rolled-up mattress, as will be readily understood. Due to the rigid or substantially rigid nature of the slat-like member 15, it aids of course in reducing any tendency of the mattress to sag or bend when in its rolled-up condition.

To those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates, other features and advantages of mattresses embodying the present invention will be evident from the foregoing description of one embodiment thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A mattress of the type which is adapted to be rolled up \for carrying and storage purposes, said mattress having an elongated body member of resilient compressible mate-rial and also having means providing a pocket at one end of said body member in spaced relation thereto, said body member being of a thickness which would cause it to be quite bulky if rolled up in a non-compressed condition and said pocket extending transversely of said body member for substantially the full width thereof, a generally rigid and substantially flat member of slat-like form disposed in said pocket and generally corresponding in length to that of said pocket, the spacing of said pocket relative to said body member enabling said pocket and the slatlike member disposed therein to be selectively positioned either in an out-of-the-way location beneath said body member or upon the adjacent end portion of said body member for the application thereto of manual pressure substantially across the full width of the body member to thereby enable it to be progressively compressed along its length as it is manually rolled up, said mattress also being provided with strap-like means to enable said body member to be releasably maintained in its compressed rolled up condition for carrying and storage purposes.

2. A mattress as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the spacing of said pocket relative to said body member is of the order of the thickness of said body member, whereby when said pocket and the slat-like member disposed therein are positioned upon said body member, they overlie the adjacent end portion of said body member.

3. A mattress as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said body member is of one-piece form and of resilient compressible rubber, in that a flexible covering is provided for said body member and in that said pocket is formed in said flexible covering.

4. A mattress as defined in claim -1, characterized in that a flexible cove-ring is provided for said body member, in that said pocket is formed in said flexible covering and in that said flexible covering is provided with a fol-dable closure flap for one end of its pocket.

5. A mattress as defined in claim 1, characterized in that a flexible covering is provided for said body member and in that the means to enable the body member to be releasably maintained in a compressed rolled up condition comprises a series of longitudinally disposed and transversely spaced flexible straps secured to said flexible covering, each such strap having means adjacent one end thereof for releasable attachment to the other end portion of the strap, there being at least two straps which have parts of their last mentioned end portions extending beyond said attachment means when the body member is in its compressed rolled up condition and which strap extensions provide handle rneans for the carrying of the mattress when the body member thereof is in its compressed rolled up condition.

6. A mattress as defined in claim 11, characterized in that the means which enable the body member to be releasably maintained in its compressed rolled up condition are clasp-containing straps which are provided beyond said clasps with strap portions which may be reieasabiy connected to form a loop-like carrying handle for the mattress.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,284,046 11/ 1918 Blocksom 5-343 5 2,505,492 4/1950 Heider 5--343 X 2,507,091 5/1950 Carlson 5--334 2,812,525 11/ 1957 Freedlander 5348 YFRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 10 A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MATTRESS OF THE TYPE WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE ROLLED UP FOR CARRYING AND STORAGE PURPOSES, SAID MATTRESS HAVING AN ELONGATED BODY MEMBER OF RESILIENT COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL AND ALSO HAVING MEANS PROVIDING A POCKET AT ONE END OF SAID BODY MEMBER IN SPACED RELATION THERETO, SAID BODY MEMBER BEING OF A THICKNESS WHICH WOULD CAUSE IT TO BE QUITE BULKY IF ROLLED UP IN A NON-COMPRESSED CONDITION AND SAID POCKET EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID BODY MEMBER FOR SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL WIDTH THEREOF, A GENERALLY RIGID AND SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT MEMBER OF SLAT-LIKE FORM DISPOSED IN SAID POCKET AND GENERALLY CORRESPONDING IN LENGTH TO THAT OF SAID POCKET, THE SPACING OF SAID POCKET RELATIVE TO SAID BODY MEMBER ENABLING SAID POCKET AND THE SLATLIKE MEMBER DISPOSED THEREIN TO BE SELECTIVELY POSITIONED EITHER IN AN OUT-OF-THE-WAY LOCATION BENEATH SAID BODY MEMBER OR UPON THE ADJACENT END PORTION OF SAID BODY MEMBER FOR THE APPLICATION THERETO OF MANUAL PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY ACROSS THE FULL WIDTH OF THE BODY MEMBER TO THEREBY ENABLE IT TO BE PROGRESSIVELY COMPRESSED ALONG ITS LENGTH AS IT IS MANUALLY ROLLED UP, SAID MATTRESS ALSO BEING PROVIDED WITH STRAP-LIKE MEANS TO ENABLE SAID BODY MEMBER TO RELEASABLY MAINTAINED IN ITS COMPRESSED ROLLED UP CONDITION FOR CARRYING AND STORAGE PURPOSES. 